The present invention generally relates to a sprinkler head for use in a side wall mount and more particularly, to a deflector guide for use in such a horizontal sidewall sprinkler head.
A typical horizontal sidewall sprinkler head is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,718 issued to Koki Sato. The prior art sidewall sprinkler head includes a housing within which a deflector in the form of a contoured plate is normally disposed. The deflector is urged out of the housing to discharge water or other fire extinguishing liquid in a predetermined pattern when a fire is sensed. To ensure that the deflector is moved from its retracted position to extended position, a deflector guide is received within the housing. The deflector guide includes a ring movably fitted within the housing, and a pair of diametrically opposite struts extending through the deflector and secured to the ring. If a ring is not properly slid along the inner peripheral surface of the housing, the deflector may not smoothly be moved out of the housing.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a horizontal sidewall sprinkler head which allows a deflector to be safely moved along the axis of the sprinkler head and thus, smoothly moved out of a sprinkler frame or housing.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a horizontal sidewall sprinkler head which produces improved distribution of fire extinguishing liquid in a region to be protected.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a horizontal sidewall sprinkler head including a tubular body having an inlet opening adapted to communicated with a source of fire extinguishing liquid and an opposite, outlet opening normally closed by a valve member, and a cylindrical frame fluidly connected to the tubular body. A deflector is movable between a retracted position wherein the deflector is positioned within the frame and an extended position wherein the deflector is urged out of the frame. The deflector is configured to discharge the fire extinguishing liquid radially outwardly from the axis of the frame when the deflector is moved to its extended position. A trigger or thermally responsive assembly is mounted to the frame to normally urge the valve member in sealing engagement with the outlet opening. The thermally responsive assembly is activated to release the valve member from the outlet opening when the ambient temperature exceeds a predetermined value.
In order to guide the deflector between its retracted and extended positions, there is provided a deflector guide which includes a ring movably disposed within the frame, a plurality of parallel guide struts axially extending from the ring and adapted to allow the deflector to move generally along the axis of the frame, and a plurality of parallel stabilizer arms axially extending from the outer periphery of the ring and adapted to allow the ring to slidably move generally along the axis of the frame. Each of the stabilizer arms has a proximal end connected to the ring, a distal end and an elongate intermediate portion extending between the two ends. As a feature of the present invention, the intermediate portion has an area less than that of the distal end. In one embodiment, the stabilizer arms each have inclined upper and lower transitional portions between the intermediate portion and the distal end. Alternatively, the stabilizer arms may have curved upper and lower transitional portions between the intermediate portion and said distal end. Still alternatively, the stabilizer arms may have a generally rectangular shape. In such a case, the intermediate portion of the stabilizer arms may have an elongate opening through which the fire extinguishing liquid passes.
A blade member may be connected to the frame and located above the deflector when the deflector is moved to its extended position. In one embodiment, the blade member includes an upright portion secured to the frame, and a canopy portion generally horizontally extending from the upper end of the upright portion. To increase the upward trajectory of the fire extinguishing liquid, the canopy portion of the blade member may have a round free edge. Similarly, the canopy portion may have upwardly bent opposite front corners.
The above and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.